How We Do It

Terre's Tots provides the tools for children to learn and grow in all the domains of child development. Our child care facility has large outdoor play spaces, interesting and attractive indoor spaces for make-believe, reading books, playing games, enjoying nutritious meals and snacks, and quiet rest and sleep.

Our pre-school program is a play-based curriculum because play is the way that children learn. They learn most effectively when they are relaxed and having fun.

Here's how we make meaning of child's play
at Terre's Tots Child Care:

Cognitive development

Coloring, drawing, building with manipulatives such as sorting toys, lacing cards, and puzzles teaches pre-math skills, language, small muscle coordination, eye-hand coordination, and problem solving. Blocks and construction sets teach inter-relationships between sizes and shapes, figuring out how to make the constructive work develops problem solving skills.

Physical development

Our daycare boasts an outdoor sandbox, 10 station Rainbow play set, large grassy backyard play area, big concrete sport court for active group games, large patio for chalking and drawing, bubbles, jump ropes, balls which all provide lots of opportunities for the repetitive motion needed to grow strong, healthy muscles and practice coordination.

Emotional development

Reading a book with a friend, figuring out who gets to be the mom in dramatic play, bringing a stuffed animal to a baby, taking turns in all the activities teaches empathy and how to build relationships. Listening to the same stories, sharing the same play experiences teaches how to share common interests and create a bond.

Social development

At our child care dramatic play involves dolls and housekeeping props, cars, trucks, trains, realistic farm sets, dollhouse sets. Dramatic play encourages cooperation, imagination, problem-solving, creativity, decision-making, empathy, and language. Daily group activities teach cooperation, how to follow simple rules, and the joy of being with friends that will help your child look forward to school.

Language development

Picture books, story books, board books, books on cd and puppet stages all teach children how to follow a story line, make conversation, and use their imagination. The literature and media resources we use at our Burnsville child care facility teach reading readiness, linear thinking, and how to interpret pictures, words, and their details. Repeating simple nursery rhymes and singing songs gives your child language.